Event Date: August 2, 2009
Event Venue: Sonisphere, Knebworth

After catching a sublime performance at the O2, capped off with a surprise appearance from Gary Numan, I was ready for anything at Sonisphere. What followed was the most unique and heartfelt set I've seen. Trent Reznor always goes against the norm, and chose to play a brave low-key, and sombre set in front of a field of metal heads and Metallica fans. Including songs such as Something I Can Never Have, I Do Not Want This, and closer Hurt, the only uptempo song seemed to be Wish. Clearly frustrated, and at times sad, this was a gig Trent seemed to be dreading. Maybe because it was his last ever UK gig, or perhaps he just doesn't want to grow old. Either way, I have the utmost respect for his craftsmanship, and loved each song he chose to play. This was a message to his fans; if you weren't at the O2, you missed our proper gig, this was purely a melancholy coda to remember us by.

Event Date: August 2, 2009
Event Venue: Sonisphere Festival, Knebworth

What with Sonisphere marking the beginning of what’s set to be a two-year hiatus for Trent Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails, they’d bow out with a rollickingly rocking greatest hits set, wouldn’t they? After all, this is the man that once demanded animalesque fornication whilst feeling from the inside and backed up Nietzsche by proclaiming the death of God. Yet sandwiched in between nemesis Fred Durst and James Hetfield’s impending onslaught and final hurrah of the best new festival to grace this year’s circuit, Reznor served up quite the opposite: a delicate, touching farewell to entice the tears out as the sun set on the horizon. Throughout the Wave Goodbye tour he’d promised to lace his subdued sets with fan favourites, ditching the glitz and glamour of previous light shows only to replace them with the sheer raw charm that began to drill his nails into hearts and minds two decades ago. As the hospital electronics of Wish kick in, he flicked a glimpse into all that could have been were we to experience the expected yet the ambulances swerve off course, taking us away into a vague land of genuine ambient genius. Reznor seemingly pained and emotionally imbalanced, the hauntingly vacuous piano opening of Something I Can Never Have makes NIN seem about as out of place on the running order as Durst in a graduation gown, before the beautiful lilt of The Frail swathes headlong into a brutal Kalimba-led enhancement of The Wretched. It may not have turned out the way you wanted it to but by God, Hurt provides the climax to the closest an hour can humanly come to musical perfection.

Event Date: August 2, 2009
Event Venue: Sonisphere

From the moment trent Reznor walked on stage I thought this is going to be special.  They played stuff I really love, It was very powerful and intense, so intense that the man himself got emotional when singing 'Hurt', which was also covered by Johnny Cash covered before he died.

Event Date: August 2, 2009
Event Venue: Sonisphere

Now I must admit first, they are (or rather Reznors music and his relevant band incarnations) my favourite all time band . That said I saw them at the Brixton Academy (I think 3 years ago) and although the performance was reasonable the sound was diabolical and I left sadly dissolusioned… No such disappointment this time an absolutely awesome set beautifully balanced between the gentler tracks and the rockier, a particularly good version of The Wretched. The band members played with precision and passsion and finished with a performance of Hurt (which like Johnny Cashs cover) almost made me cry …stunning!!!!

Event Date: August 2, 2009
Event Venue: Sonisphere, Knebworth

Having seen NIN a few weeks ago at the o2 in what was one of the most life affirming, energetic and all round brilliant gigs I have ever attended, I couldn't believe my luck at getting free tickets to Sonisphere and having another chance to see on of my favourite bands once again before the end of NIN as a live band.

Having seen a host of good bands earlier in the day, I now waited with anticipation for Trent to take the stage. After a brief insturmental introduction, we were treated to 'Wish' and I immediatley envisioned another hour long blistering set through the more heavy and fast hits, but I was wrong and pleasnatly supprised in turn.The band then went on to play a more subdued set of number of instrumental numbers around the more emotional tracks like 'Something I Can Never Have' and the enevitable set conclusion of one 'Hurt'.

Overall a very brave choice, but a very fitting set considering the occasion. It may have got slightly lost on the casual festival goer, but I think the fans that saw them a few weeks back would agree it was more a companion peice / extension to the previous performance and ll the better for it. As the sun set on the day and Trent left the stage I couldn't help but feel a number of emotions and thankful that I had been there on the day.